Monday, September 30, 2013

This painting depicts the one of my favorite Native American stories, The Wolves Within. The story goes that there are two wolves living inside of each one of us. One wolf represents good - joy, love, kindness, respect, generosity, truth and peace. The other represents evil - hatred, jealousy, sorrow, greed, anger, dishonesty and resentment. Each day theses wolves do battle with one another. At the end of the story, the child asks the grandfather which one will win. The old man replies with the words; "The one you feed".

Saturday, September 28, 2013

In ancient Egypt, the rabbit was a symbol of life and fertility which carried over to Greece and Rome. The pagan tribes of Europe honored the goddess of fertility, Eostre, who was said to be accompanied by a hare. In the 1500's, the Germans were the first to introduce a rabbit that left eggs and candies for children the night before Easter. They brought the tradition to America, where the legend grew and gained popularity. So the answer to the question, "What's a rabbit got to do with Easter" is; "absolutely nothing".

#28 of 30

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Spring Bunny

5.5" x 6.5" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist.

SOLD

I remembered to stop a couple of

times to shoot the progress.

Only two more paintings to go, but it just doesn't seem to be getting any easier. I am exhausted and confess that I can hardly wait for Tuesday to be here. When I told my hubby this morning, "only 3 more to go", he said; "Good, then you can clean." Then he broke down and vacuumed after he saw a dust bunny the size of one of the cats! My mind has gone to mush. I know a lot of the other 300 plus participants are feeling the same painting/posting fatigue.

The Heron and Hummingbird is a story a lot like that of the Tortoise and the Hare. There was a race between Heron and Hummingbird to see who had the right to eat fish. It seems in the old days, Hummingbird liked to eat small minnows. Hummingbird was so far ahead in the race that he got distracted by some pretty flowers. While enjoying the sweet treat and pretty scenery, he didn't see Heron passing him by with his great silent wings. Needless to say, Hummingbird lost the race and today Heron eats fish while Hummingbird feeds on insects and nectar.

Wow, only three more days of the "30 paintings in 30 days challenge". I really can't say it went by too fast. It really was hard for me to keep up this time. I know I did it to myself by painting a few bigger pieces and by choosing such a varied and complex theme. I really did not keep it simple this time. (Lesson to self - Next time - Keep It Simple!) I've been doing no cleaning, no cooking, no riding, no shopping, no socializing, no relaxing. Just eating (mostly take-out and sandwiches), sleeping, taking care of critters, painting, shooting and posting! I'm exhausted! Thanks so much for your comments and support though. It keeps me focused and means more than you can imagine.

According to a Mayan Legend, Hummingbird got her colors as a wedding gift from the other birds of the forest. The title of this post is "How the Hummingbird Got His Colors" because my painting is obviously a male. I am really missing my little cuties, as droves of them vacated the place in a hurry about two weeks ago. I still have four of my fifteen feeders up and we saw a few stragglers earlier this week. It's unusual for them all to be gone already. I hope that isn't an indication of a hard winter or worse. We certainly don't want to experience anything like "Superstorm Sandy" this fall!

The winged, divine stallion, Pegasus is probably the most popular creature in Greek Mythology. Symbolic of spiritual power, he was sired by Poseidon, aiding Zeus and others in their godly quests. Dreaming of riding a flying white horse is considered a good omen and has been linked to success, prosperity, pleasure, power and freedom.

This is today's painting for the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I've included some photos of the painting matted and framed below.

Mermaids are legendary aquatic creatures with the upper body of a woman and the torso of a fish. Stories of mermaids have been around for thousands of years and appear in the ancient stories and folklore of many cultures, including Native North Americans. It has been said that the human-animal hybrid symbolizes ancient man's understanding that we are both one with and different from the animals that we share the planet with.

This is yesterday's painting that I didn't quite finish in time to post. I've included some photos of the painting matted and framed below.

#24 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Mermaid Dream

4" x 6" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 5" x 7"

Signed and certified by the artist.

Painting Options

This little painting would look precious on a wall or setting on a shelf or desk. It would make a most memorable gift. Could you do me a favor and give me a little feedback? Do you like it in the double mat or the black one better?

The list of dragons in folklore and legends is extensive. Dragons are present in so many cultures, both Western and Eastern, dating as far back as antiquity. One has to wonder if there is any truth to this powerful being or if it is just a metaphor and a wonderful creature of the imagination. No matter where the stories started, they are here to stay and seem to strike some common cord among all the people of the world.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Today marks the autumn equinox this year. Equinox means "equal night" and on March 21st and Sept. 22nd, 2013, the day and night are of equal length. The autumnal equinox traditionally has been a time of harvest and thanksgiving. Spiritually, it is a celebration of "going within", preparing for the darkness and a kind of symbolic death and resurrection. Now daylight will continue to decline until December 21st, marking the winter solstice, when the days once again slowly begin to get longer. Throughout the history of mankind, many legends, rituals and beliefs are centered around the changing of the seasons. There are as many varied beliefs as there are cultures. One of the most interesting I found was the Celtic Connection of the Autumnal Equinox to the Poplar Tree. Do you know of any you'd like to share?

#22 of 30

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Moving into the Dark

4" x 6" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 5" x 7"

Signed and certified by the artist.

• SOLD

“But then fall comes,

kicking summer out on its treacherous ass

as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September,

it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed.

It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair

and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with

stories of places he has been and things he has done

since last he saw you.”

~ Stephen King

Many thanks to Katherine Thomas for suggesting the subject of today's legend.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

A blue moon happens when there are more than two full moons in a month. It just happened on August 31st. The moon was just full on Thursday, but it won't be blue again until 2015. There are many old superstitions about doing things under a blue moon. You can find some of them here.

Who is Sandy Sandy?

Hi! I'm a singular artist with a double name. Loving nature and all animals, I strive to portray the essence and spirit of my subjects in my art - aka, my online identity, Sandy Sandy Spiritartist. I hope you'll stay a while and leave me some comments so we can get to know each other.